Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-25
The Legislature.

Inc press uOes ltseii liilustico WHICH
il censures any man or any body OF
men for not doing what it is impossible
to do. Given deliberative body COM
posed OF hundred men, and it is i'm
possible to force action on any mea-
sure which does not command the
hearty support of a majority of the
members. So long as there are radi-
cal differences Of opinion, self-respect-
ing men are not going to take action
which cannot be taken until these diff
ferences have been reconciled or ex-
planned away. SO long as there are
shrswd, penetrating minds bordering
the problems which are to be solved,
and there are thoughtful men deter
mined not to act at all unless they can
act understandingly, it is useless for
"whips" of any sort to attempt to
force action on any important subject.
OF course most men may atany time,
without due reflection, express their
opinions on any given subject. But
this is because nobody values these
opinions. But the men upon whom the
community look as leaders, and who
have q voice-perhsps a controlling
voice-in Legislation, must be thought
full and guarded in tn ir words and &C.
tons. The very same mischief-makers
who now censure the Legislature for
celebrating so long before taking ac-
ton upon any new measure proposed
for the settlement of the public debt.
and who know now exactly what sort
Of measure ought to be adopted, would
be the first to denounce the Legisla-
ture for having resorted to that measure
if it should prove to be damaging to
the interests of the Commonwealth.
The grnmblers can say what they
please because when they forget
what they are now saying, and
begin TO find fault, nobody will recollect
that they are denouncing what before
they had recommended. The legisla-
tor has to make allowance for all things,
and TO act accordingly. He cannot say
one thing to-day and another the mo-
ment the scheme he supported has
turned out to be Intellectual or worse.
He must "stand and take it" even when
the censure comes from the men who
clamorously called upon him to do that
for which they now berate him.
What we have said will be admitted
tobe true not only by everybody who has
served in the General Assembly, but
by everybody who has served upon the
Board of Directors of any State institu-
ton, or on the State Central Commit
tee, or anywhere else where the sense
of responsibility was strong because the
State might suffer irreparable wrong as
the result of blunder. Hour after
hour have we seen consumed-not
wasted-by few gentlemen assem-
bled for the purpose of devising merely
party measures. Why? Because a
misstep might ruin the party, and,
running the party, result to the great
detriment of the Commonwealth.
For our part, we would not have the
Legislature hurry through its work.
That body ought to meet annually any
how There is always demand for
new legislation at least once year in
such State as Virginia. A City Coun-
Gil must meet once month but a State
Legislature need meet only once in
twenty-four months AS to the current
extra session, we trust that it may last
until May at least, and that before it is
ended the new Code may be adopted,
and all the other measures which the
people so much need may become
laws. The members OF the Lee
gislature cannot be expected to
have nothing but the debt question for
breakfast, dinner, and supper. 7ou-
jos~s perdrir will not satisfy their. APP
petites. II will be relief to them
and will enable them to legislate more
satisfactorily upon the debt question
to allow them to drop that subject &C.
casionally and take up some other by
way Of relaxing their minds. To con-
slider local bills viii be recreation for
them.